Chapter 1167: Old Acquaintance
Xu Huo smiled. "Didn't you want to invite me to join? It's not too much to learn a bit about your background, is it? Besides, I just asked a familiar face in the Special Defense Department to confirm your identity. How could that be considered setting you up? Unless your identity is fake?"
"Of course not!" Song Xiaohua quickly denied, then added, "But that Special Defense Department setup was terrifying. I thought they were going to take me as a punching bag, so I ran away immediately."
"Don't worry," Xu Huo said. "As long as your identity is legitimate, running away is fine. The Special Defense Department doesn't have the energy to chase you down."
Watching him tap away on his phone, Song Xiaohua continued, "Since you asked someone to investigate my identity, does that mean you're interested in cooperating with me?"
"Not at all." Xu Huo added all the selected items to his shopping cart. "Although Zone 014 hasn't been gamified for long, the business of selling items players need for instances has already formed a scale. Want to buy some?"
Song Xiaohua didn't understand what he meant and looked at him suspiciously.
"Do you know about that vanished island?" Xu Huo suddenly asked.
"Of course I do." Song Xiaohua paused, then looked at him in surprise. "You're not planning to go there, are you? That place is completely surrounded by the Special Defense Department now. How could they let outsiders get a piece of the pie?"
"That's not for them to decide." Xu Huo said with a hint of mischief. "Even if I can't snatch any benefits, I can't let the Special Defense Department have it all for free."
Song Xiaohua was stunned. "Aren't you on good terms with the Special Defense Department? They even helped you check someone out."
"That doesn't matter." Xu Huo said. "Personal relationships are personal. Causing trouble for the Special Defense Department is another matter entirely."
"Are you going or not?"
Song Xiaohua was confused by his question. "Wait, I was trying to invite you to join my entertainment company. I never planned to go against the Special Defense Department. You're a big shot, so you're not afraid, but I'm scared of getting investigated!"
"Then you can leave." Xu Huo waved his hand to dismiss him.
Hesitating for a moment, Song Xiaohua still didn't leave. "If I team up with you, will you consider joining my company?"
"I can consider it." Xu Huo looked up again. "Didn't expect you to have such professional ethics."
Song Xiaohua forced a smile. "Well, everyone has some pursuit in their heart. Before I became a player, my goal was to create global superstars. That hasn't changed."
He thought for a moment, then suddenly slapped his thigh. "Isn't this perfect? We can film a documentary video. It'll definitely get huge ratings, and we'll naturally debut. Audiences love watching this kind of stuff. Even if they can't become players, they can experience a real player's life and get their fix!"
Xu Huo didn't object, but he didn't agree either. He just said, "Then get ready. We'll set off tonight."
"Alright, I need to bring more food and water, and buy a few tickets. If things go wrong, I can still escape!" Song Xiaohua muttered as he left.
After confirming he was gone, Xu Huo opened the text message Nie Xuan had sent: "Song Xiaohua died ten days ago."
He had expected this, so he wasn't surprised. Deleting the message, he took a nap while waiting for the delivery. By evening, Song Xiaohua came back, brimming with excitement. "I'm fully prepared today!"
That was obvious. He had even gotten his hair permed into soft waves.
"And there's something else you won't expect," he said smugly. "I managed to contact a private plane through some connections. The owner agreed to give us a ride along the way, so we don't have to find a plane ourselves!"
Adjusting his pink suit, he pointed downstairs. "Let's go. The car is ready."
The two took a car to the airport.
"Let me tell you, this airport is private," Song Xiaohua chattered nonstop along the way. "Back in the day, our country didn't allow private airports. But now it's different. Those rich people can hire players with money, naturally forming their own power. Once there are enough players, even the Special Defense Department has to compromise."
"But not many people can actually build a private airport. You have no idea how many connections I used to get on this flight. Riding the same plane as the country's top tycoons might just pave the way for a smooth career!"
"We're here, we're here! Look at this airport—low-key yet luxurious. You can tell the designer has great taste!"
"Is that so?" Xu Huo wasn't as impressed. "I think all airports look pretty much the same."
"You wouldn't understand," Song Xiaohua explained. "The designer of this airport is now a player. He's Ban Tao, ranked seventh on the Most Popular Player Rankings. They say he designed this airport after studying airports in other game zones, which is why it looks different from the ones in Zone 014."
"And the Wang family is rich too. They bought some advanced equipment and modified our planes to make them faster and safer."
The two entered the runway. The plane had already started its engines, and over a dozen security guards were stationed outside, checking Song Xiaohua's identity before letting them board.
There were other people on the plane. Besides Ban Tao, whom Song Xiaohua had mentioned earlier, Sun Minqi, Wei Yan, and Wang Dafa—also on the Most Popular Player Rankings—were there as well. At the front of the cabin sat a woman in a wheelchair, smiling as she held a glass of champagne, nodding slightly as she listened to Ban Tao and the others talk. Clearly, she was the one in charge.
Wang Xiaohui.
The disabled woman Xu Huo had met on the preliminary train. He had let her into the second-class carriage, which had forged a connection. Before the Black Rain incident, she had come to him with Wei Mang, hoping to obtain the King Fungus to set up a laboratory, but he had refused.
The man standing behind her was Wei Mang, the one who had survived the attack on the third-class carriage by the xenomorphs. However, he had been poisoned by the xenomorph venom. Though he could still live normally, his entire body was covered in blue-purple vascular patterns, making him look strange and dangerous.
Xu Huo and Wei Mang exchanged glances. "You look like you're doing well."
Wei Mang didn't speak, not even moving his eyes. But Wang Xiaohui in front of him put down her glass, moved her wheelchair forward, and took the initiative to shake his hand. "Mr. Xu, long time no see."
"Thanks to the detox fungus you gave the Special Defense Department. Although it can't fully cure Wei Mang's poison, it has greatly alleviated his suffering."
"You're too kind. It was the antidote developed by the Special Defense Department that worked." Xu Huo said. "What a coincidence. The person Song Xiaohua knew turned out to be you."
"It must be fate." Wang Xiaohui was no longer as pale and frail as before. Her smile was warm and infectious. "Please, have a seat, Mr. Xu."
She invited Xu Huo and Song Xiaohua to sit at the front.
"So you two are friends!" Song Xiaohua introduced himself to Wang Xiaohui with his usual familiarity. "I'm Mr. Xu's future agent. My name is Song Xiaohua. Miss Wang, since you're Mr. Xu's friend, by extension, we're friends too!"
Wang Xiaohui looked at Xu Huo with slight surprise. "Mr. Xu wants to become famous?"
Nowadays, players who debuted competed on the player rankings. Hearing this, Ban Tao and the others present all turned their gazes toward Xu Huo.
(Chapter End)